Device for the transportion of cans between machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers

ABSTRACT

A process for the transportation of cans between machines processing fiber slivers by means of a can conveying device. The latter is loaded and unloaded simultaneously in one position at a machine or storage facility. The cans are inspected during their transportation between two such machines. In this process, the cans in which fiber sliver remnants remain, are emptied. The route of the can conveying device constitutes a transportation system consisting of three interconnected can circuits, whereby a first can circuit comprises two such machines and the other two can circuits each comprise one of these machines and the can storage facility. The can shifting device, to load and unload the can conveying device is equipped with a grasping device to grasp the can and with a lifting device to lift up the grasped can. The gasping device is located on a sled that can be shifted perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension of the can conveying device which is, in turn, located on a supporting sled capable of moving at a perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the can conveying device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention relates to a process for the transportation ofcans between machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers.At least one of these machines or devices is assigned a can receivingpoint and a can delivery point, with a can conveying device capable oftravelling on a set route between the machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers, as well as to a device to carry out suchprocess.

In automatic can transportation the problem consists in conveying thecans from a machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers toanother such machine or device. A method is known (from a draw frame) bywhich can conveying devices are positioned at the draw frame on whichthe cans are pushed out of the filling position (See German PatentPublication No. DE-PS 1,265,014). The can conveying devices (carriages)are then pushed on, each time by one can fraction so that it is able topush out the next cans. This has the disadvantage that the can conveyingdevice must generally alter its position, when it delivers empty cans,before being able to accept the full cans. This is not only clumsy, withrespect to the required drive and guidance devices for the carriages,but also requires too much space. Another problem occurring in automaticthe transportation between two or more machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers consists in the fact that these machines ordevices can be different in nature, so that the can requirement or theoutput of cans is also different.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the instant invention to provide a process and anautomatic can conveying system which improves the operation at and/orbetween the machines or devices treating or processing the fiber sliversand, thus leads to savings in time and/or space.

This object is attained through the instant invention in that the canconveying device is loaded and unloaded in one position at a machine ordevice treating or processing fiber slivers. Thus time is saved, as thecans are not first taken from the can conveying device in the work phasein one work position, while new cans are loaded on the can conveyingdevice later, once the can conveying device has assumed a new workposition, but the can conveying device assumes a position in whichloading and unloading can be effected simultaneously. Such a processleads to a more compact design of the machines or devices in the area oftheir can arrival and their can delivery point, since these are to beplaced in such a relative arrangement that a simultaneous movement makesloading and unloading possible.

Such a machine or device is especially compact if the can conveyingdevice is able to travel between the can receiving point and the candelivery point, since the can conveying device, according to theinvention, can then be unloaded on one side and be loaded on the otherside.

So that different methods for loading and unloading of the can conveyingdevice need not be applied for the different machines or devicestreating or processing fiber slivers, to be connected through the canconveying device, only one full or empty can, at a time, isadvantageously loaded and at the same time one empty or full can isunloaded. In this way, one and the same loading or unloading device canbe provided at each of the different machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers for loading and unloading.

In long spinning or twisting machines it is especially difficult toreplace sliver cans. Contrary to what occurs in other machines (e.g.draw frames) the cans do not travel through the machine or device andare not always conveyed to the same location of the machine or device,nor are they always taken from another, also unchanging location of themachine or device. In order to allow for optimal operation of machinesand/or devices connected to each other via the can transportationsystem, according to the instant invention, at least two can holdinglocations are provided on the can conveying device, one of these beingempty at the beginning of a can replacement, so that the can to beexchanged is loaded unto this empty can holding location from a canholding platform serving, at the same time, as can delivery and canreceiving point at one of the machines or devices. The can conveyingdevice then moves, with a lift the can to be exchanged standing on thecan holding location to the now full can holding platform of the machineor device and unloads the can to be exchanged so that the can holdinglocation is again free on the can conveying device. In order to obtaineasy movement during loading or unloading, it is advantageous for theloading and/or unloading process to be carried out substantially withoutlifting or lowering of the can. Thereby, the loading and/or unloadingprocess is carried out substantially with only one translational motionof the can. It is especially advantageous, when separate loading andunloading devices are unavoidable at the individual machines or devicestreating or processing fiber slivers, for the loading and/or unloadingprocess to be carried out on the can conveying device.

In order to avoid having to coordinate the operations of the machines ordevices treating or processing fiber slivers connected to each otherthrough the can conveying device, a further development of the process,according to the instant invention, provides for a can, which must bebrought from a first machine or device treating or processing fiberslivers to another machine or device treating or processing fiberslivers, to be temporarily stored in a can storage facility when the canis not needed at that moment at the other machine or device treating orprocessing fiber slivers, and to be called out of this temporary canstorage facility only when this can is needed at the other machine ordevice treating or processing fiber slivers. Due to this intermediatestorage of cans, the differences in the operating speed or thedifferences in work cycles at the different machines or devices can becompensated. In a further embodiment of the object of the instantinvention a can is inspected between the two machines or devicestreating or processing fiber slivers. This can be carried out incombination with an intermediate can storage, but also independentlythereof. A can storage facility, combined with a can inspection station,offers the advantage that a relatively long time is available to subjectthe can to an inspection to eliminate damaged cans or to empty canswhich are not completely empty, for any reason, so that a can may alwayscontain one single, uninterrupted fiber sliver after having been filled.Such a process can be applied in connection with the simultaneousloading and unloading of the can conveying device as well asindependently thereof. Neither does it depend on the manner in which thecan replacement is carried out at long spinning or twisting machines.

The inspection can be carried out at different locations. It best not becarried out at machines or devices treating or processing fiber sliversthemselves, since this would require providing a plurality of inspectionstations. To avoid this, the instant invention provides for the can tobe either inspected on the set route of the can conveying device or forthe can to be taken out of the set route for inspection, e.g. in astorage facility in which this inspection can then be carried out. Inorder to avoid impairing downstream operations through faulty or notcompletely empty cans, it is advantageous to prevent the faulty cansfrom being taken to one of the machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers.

To prevent a full can from containing several sliver fragments, the canto be filled is inspected with respect to its fullness. This may beachieved by different means, e.g. by scanning the interior of the canwith a sensor to determine the filled state. It is, however, alsopossible to weigh the can in order to ascertain its filled state.

If it is found that the cans to be filled still contain fiber sliverremnants, such a can is emptied in a further development of the processaccording to the invention before it is conveyed on to be filled.

Since deficiencies may occur during further treatment or processing offiber slivers if the cans are damaged, it is advantageous to inspect thecans in order to ascertain whether their physical condition isfaultless.

To carry out the process, the instant invention provides for the canreceiving point and the can delivery point of a machine or devicetreating or processing fiber slivers to be placed close together andalong the route of the can conveying device and for a can shiftingdevice to be provided, by means of which one can is brought from the canconveying device into the can receiving point and, simultaneously,another can is brought from the can delivery point to the can conveyingdevice. This makes it possible to obtain a compact construction which,furthermore, saves time in operation.

In order to effect loading and unloading of the can conveying deviceeasily, in one single movement, the invention provides for the canreceiving point and for the can delivery point to be arrangedsymmetrically with respect to the can conveying device in the loading orunloading positions.

In order to avoid having to provide for the synchronous operation of themachines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers connected toeach other through the can conveying device, a can storage facility isprovided in a further advantageous manner between the two machines ordevices treating or processing fiber slivers. The can storage facilitytemporarily accepts cans, which cannot be conveyed at the moment to thenext machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers, until thecan placed, at disposal, in this can storage facility is needed. Such adesign of the invention is especially advantageous in combination with acan shifting device for the simultaneous loading and unloading, but alsooptimizes the can transportation between machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers also independently of a can shifting device,designed in this manner.

Depending on the machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers,it may be advantageous to install the can receiving point and/or the candelivery point of the machine or device with intercalation of a canstorage facility directly at this machine for device treating orprocessing fiber slivers. This is very advantageous with a draw frame,for instance.

It has proven to be advantageous for the can storage facility to besubdivided into two can storage divisions, of which one can storagedivision is used to store empty cans and the other can storage divisionis used to store full cans.

The can storage division for the storage of empty cans is preferablyprovided with a can receiving point and the full can storage divisionwith a can delivery point, with the can receiving point and the candelivery point being placed close to each other and along the route ofthe can conveying device. A can replacement device is also provided, bymeans of which one can is brought from the can conveying device into thecan receiving point while another can is brought, simultaneously, fromthe can delivery point onto the can conveying device. As mentionedearlier, such an arrangement makes it possible to obtain a space-savingdevice which, at the same time, allows for time-saving operations.

It is also an advantage, according to the instant invention, for theroute of the can conveying device to take its course at least along oneof the machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers and/oralong the can storage facility between the can receiving point and thecan delivery point. An especially compact method of operation, affordingshort routes to be travelled for the loading and unloading of the canconveying device, are achieved if the two storage divisions and theroute of the can conveying device are parallel to each other in the areaof the can storage division.

In order to achieve simple loading and unloading movements, the canstorage facility has, preferably, an horizontal can holding platform aswell as a driven conveying device extending from one end of the canholding platform to its other end. This conveying device may, inprinciple, be designed in different manners, e.g. in form of drivenrollers; however, it is preferably constituted by a conveyor belt or aconveyor chain.

A subdivision of the can storage facility into two can storage divisionsis advantageous especially when a filling head is located between thecan storage facility with the can receiving point and the can storagefacility with the can delivery point. Whereby it is possible to presentan empty can, coming from the can storage facility with the canreceiving point, to said filling head from which it can be transferredinto the can storage facility with the can delivery point once it hasbeen filled. Such filling heads are placed, as a rule, independently ofother filling heads, so that they are particularly accessible, and thatcan storage facilities can be assigned to them in a particularly simplemanner.

In order to present an empty can to the filling head and in order to beable to eject the filled can later, a further embodiment of theinvention provides for the filling head to be provided with a canshifting device which carries out the presentation of an empty can andthe removal of a filled can.

In order to provide especially simple control of the cans in theproximity of the filling head, the can receiving point and/or the candelivery point is located at the end of the applicable can storagefacility away from the filling head in a preferred embodiment of thedevice according to the invention. In this way, the empty cans must bemoved, at the can receiving point, in the direction of the filling headand the full cans must be moved from the filling head in the directionof the can delivery point. It is thus not necessary to provide movementsin several conveying direction in the can storage facilities.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the can shifting device,assigned to the filing head, is provided with a conveyor belt orconveyor chain which extends to the end of the can storage facility. Inorder to achieve as unobtrusive a transition as possible from the canstorage facility to the conveyor belt or conveyor chain assigned to thisfilling head, at least one filler element to fill the interval isprovided between the can storage facility and the conveyor belt orconveyor chain.

A conveyor belt or a conveyor chain does not function with as muchprecision as a mechanical grasper unless special measures are taken. Itis, therefore, advantageous for the can shifting device assigned to thefilling head to also comprise a grasper, alone or in addition to aconveyor belt or a conveyor chain, which brings the can into the exactrelative position in relation to the filling head.

The can storage facility is arranged independently of a machine ordevice treating or processing fiber slivers. This is advantageousespecially when the cans stored in this can storage facility are to bepresented to a spinning or twisting machine with a great number of workstations where no room is available for such an intermediate storage, asotherwise the accessibility of the machine would be affected.

The route of the can conveying device constitutes a conveying systemconsisting of three can circuits connected to each other, whereby afirst can circuit comprises two machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers and the two other can circuits each comprisesone of these machines or devices treating or processing fiber sliversand the can storage facility. Here several rail systems may be connectedto each other or it may at least be possible to connect them temporarilyto each other.

In an embodiment of the invention, more than one machine or devicetreating or processing fiber slivers comprising a filling head and morethan one other machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers isprovided along the route of the can conveying device. Such a design ofthe invention is, basically advantageous, whether or not the canconveying device is loaded and unloaded, simultaneously, and whether ornot a can storage facility is provided between the machines or devicestreating or processing fiber slivers.

Where more than one machine or device with the filling head and morethan one machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers arepresent in one machine combination, the different can circuits, inadvantageous embodiments of the invention, may be laid out in differentmanners as required. The first can circuit comprises any one of themachines or devices with one filling head and any one of the machines ordevices treating or processing fiber slivers, and each of the other twocan circuits comprises any one of the machines or devices with a fillinghead or any one of the other machines or devices treating or processingfiber slivers, without a filling head. Such a device allows for veryflexible operation.

The filling head is part of a machine or device treating or processingfiber slivers to which the fiber sliver can be brought in round cans,regardless of whether the fiber sliver is again filled into round orflat cans. The filling head is here, preferably, part of a draw frame.

In order to prevent the further processing of fiber slivers to lead todifficulties, another embodiment of the invention provides for a caninspection station to be installed along the route of the can conveyingdevice to inspect the contents and/or state of the cans. It is possibleto ascertain by means of such a can inspection station whether the canalong the route are in perfect condition and/or whether the cans areempty. In this way, delays or malfunctions are avoided in the cantransportation, especially during the replacement of cans as well asduring the filling of cans and removal of the fiber sliver from thecans. According to the invention, this inspection is carried out not atone of the machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers butalong the route of the can conveying device, so that the operation ofthe machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers is notimpaired in any way. For this reason, the can inspection station isinstalled either on the can conveying device or along the route of thecan conveying device.

The can inspection station may be designed in different ways and isequipped with a can weighing device in one embodiment. In anadvantageous embodiment of such a can weighing device, it is possible toprovide the can with a bottom capable of being moved perpendicular toits circumferential wall, and to provide the can inspection station witha lifting device which is part of the can weighing device and which canbe assigned to the bottom.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the can inspectionstation is provided with inspecting elements which scan the contour of acan, with additional means being provided to produce a relative movementbetween the can and the inspection element so that the inspectionelement can be brought to any desired location of the contour of thecan. Such an inspection element is unsuitable to ascertain the physicalstate of the can as well as the can's fullness. To inspect the contentsof the can, the can inspection station is provided with a sensorscanning the bottom of the can.

In order to prevent cans which have been rejected from remaining in thecan circuit it is advantageous for the can inspection station to beconnected to a can storage to which the cans rejected at the caninspection station may be brought. Due to the fact that it is possiblefor these faulty cans to be taken out of the can circuit in this manner,it is now possible to either repair these cans at leisure or toeliminate them permanently if it is found that the cans are no longer inperfect condition.

If cans are rejected because they are not completely empty it isadvantageous for them to be emptied automatically. For this purposeeither the can inspection station and/or the can storage is designedwith a can emptying device. Such a can emptying device can be designedin different ways, in principle, e.g. in the form of a suction devicewhich is brought into the interior of such a can to be emptied.Preferably, however, the can emptying device is equipped with a cantilting device.

In order to ensure that the fiber material taken from the rejected cansdoes not remain in the can storage or at the can inspection station, afurther embodiment of the invention provides for the can emptying deviceto be assigned a transportation device by means of which the fibermaterial taken from the can may be conveyed to a fiber materialcollection station. As mentioned earlier, the can inspection stationmay, in principle, be located at any desired location between themachines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers connected toeach other. It is, however, especially advantageous if the caninspection station is located in a can circuit with a can storagefacility, as the normal transportation of the cans between the differentmachines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers is thuscompletely unimpaired.

To avoid irregular feeding of the can storage facilities and to thusensure that a sufficient number of cans is available when needed, it isadvantageous for the can storage facility to be assigned a signallingdevice which is triggered when the can storage facility in questionbecomes too full or too empty.

In order to be able to carry out can transportation and/or canreplacement at the desired time, an embodiment of the invention providesfor the machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers to beequipped with a "can required" notifier. Such a "can required" notifiercan be installed on a machine or device equipped with a filling head aswell as on some other machines or devices treating or processing fiberslivers without filling head.

In a simple and advantageous device the "can required" notifier isequipped with a sensor for scanning the interior of a can.Alternatively, it is also possible to equip the "can required" notifierwith a measuring device for measuring sliver consumption on the machineor device treating or processing fiber slivers. Furthermore, anadditional sensor to scan the fiber sliver which enters the machine ordevice treating or processing fiber slivers is provided.

In a simple embodiment of the invention a window, which can be presentedto the sensor, is provided in the can. Such a window also enables theoperator to easily supervise the fullness of the can, and this may be ofgreat advantage for inspection purposes. The window extends in thelongitudinal sense of the can while the sensor can be adjusted todifferent vertical positions in relation to the can, so that the leadtime between requesting a can and its delivery can be extended. In orderto prevent a fiber tuft from catching at the window the latter isadvantageously closed with a transparent insert.

The "can required" notifier is connected to the can conveying device forcontrol purposes. The "can required" notifier is thus able to triggerautomatically the arrival of a new can and the replacement of the can atthe machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers.

If several can circuits are provided, the "can required" notifier iscapable of being connected for control to such a can conveying devicelocated either, within the can circuit between the machine or devicetreating or processing fiber slivers equipped with the "can required"notifier and another such machine or device, or between the machine ordevice equipped with the "can required" notifier and the can conveyingdevice. This ensures that a new can is rapidly brought into itsoperating position. Unnecessary time loss is thus avoided.

In order to avoid complicated lifting movements at the two machines ordevices treating or processing fiber slivers connected to each otherthrough the can conveying device, the can conveying device is providedwith a can holding platform which is located, at the most, 100 mm higherthan the can holding platform of the can receiving point and/or of thecan deliver point. Such an arrangement of the can holding platforms is,not only advantageously and used in combination with a can conveyingdevice, being loaded and unloaded at the same time, and/or incombination with a can storage facility or in combination with more thantwo machines or devices treating or processing fiber sliversapproachable by a can conveying device as well as in combination with acan inspection station, but also independently thereof.

The smaller the difference in height between the can holding platform onthe can conveying device and the can holding platform of the canreceiving point and/or of the can delivery point, the easier it is toeffect the can replacement movements. For this reason it is an advantagefor the can holding platform of the can conveying device to be located,at the most, 40 mm higher than the can holding platform of the canreceiving point and/or of the can delivery point when a difference inheight cannot be avoided. Preferably, however, the can holding platformsof the can receiving point and/or of the can delivery point as well asof the can conveying device are essentially at the same horizontallevel. In that case a horizontal movement for the replacement of cans atthe machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers suffices.

Especially when can replacement is effected through shifting, wear-proofsliding edges are provided on the can holding platforms and/or on thecan bottom, the sliding edges being advantageously made of polyethylene.

The can conveying device may be of varying designs, e.g. in the form ofa carriage suspended from a rail. It is, however, especiallyadvantageous to design the can conveying device in form of a groundvehicle. In that case, it is especially advantageous for the can holdingplatform on the machine or device treating or processing fiber sliversto be in form of a pedestal adapted in height to the can holdingplatform of the can conveying device.

It is, in principle, possible to place the can holding platforms atdifferent heights at the machines or devices treating or processingfiber slivers connected to each other through the can conveying device.However, this means that different movements for loading or unloading ofthe can conveying device must be carried on the different machines ordevices treating or processing fiber slivers. To be able to carry outidentical loading and unloading movements no matter where they takeplace, it is especially advantageous for the can holding platforms ofthe can conveying device and of all the can holding platforms to whichthe can conveying device can be brought to be at the same level.

To be able to load and unload the can conveying device simultaneously itis possible to provide two can shifting devices working synchronously,one of which is located at the can delivery point, for example, and theother at the can receiving point. It is, however, advantageous toprovide one single can shifting device which is subdivided into ashifting device element to unload a can from the can conveying deviceand into a shifting device element to load a can on the can conveyingdevice. Such a design of the can shifting device is used to advantagewhen the loading and the unloading of the can conveying device is notsimultaneous, and, also, whether or not a can storage facility isprovided. Such a design of the can shifting device is also independentof the number of machines or devices treating or processing fiberslivers approachable by the can conveying device and of the presence ofan inspection station. Neither does the relative height arrangement ofthe different can holding platforms impair or affect the configurationof the can shifting device.

By subdividing the can conveying device into two shifting deviceelements, it is, on the one hand, possible to design these shiftingdevice elements to be in one and the same plane, transversely to theroute of the can conveying device, so that can replacement takes placein one and the same plane.

The can conveying device is, preferably, provided with at least two canholding platforms to receive one can each, placed one behind the otherin the direction of travel. This also makes it possible to place the twoshifting device elements in two planes which are transverse to the routeof the can conveying device and which are separated from each other by adistance equal to the width of a can holding platform. This makes itpossible on a spinning and twisting machine, for example, to bring a caninto its operating position at a work station and to take a can from theadjoining spinning station to load it on the can conveying device.

When two shifting device elements are provided these can also bedesigned so that they are controlled independently of each other.

In spinning or twisting machines or also in other machines or devicestreating or processing fiber slivers, can holding locations are providedwhich are, at the same time, a can receiving point and a can deliverypoint. In one such instance, provisions are made, according to theinvention, for the distance between the can holding locations on the canconveying distance to be essentially equal to the distance between thecan holding locations on the different machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers.

The can shifting device may be of different designs. In an advantageousembodiment of the invention the can shifting device is provided with agrasping means to grasp a can near its lower end. In this case it isadvantageous, in order to ensure reliable operation, for the can to beequipped at its lower end with a projection to interact with thegrasping device. It is advantageous for the can to be designed in formof a flat can and for the projection to be located at the end, i.e. atthe narrow side of the flat can, i.e. for such a projection to beprovided at each of the two narrow can sides. In a preferred embodimentof the invention the projection is made in form of a supporting hoop.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the can shifting device isprovided with a grasping device which is located on a sled capable ofbeing shifted transversely to the longitudinal extension of the canconveying device. The sled being, in turn, installed on a supportingsled capable of moving transversely to the longitudinal sense of the canconveying device.

If it is unavoidable for the can holding locations on the can conveyingdevice and on the machines or devices treating or processing fiberslivers to be placed at different heights, the can shifting device isequipped, according to the invention, with a grasping device to graspthe can and with a lifting device to lift the grasped can. For thispurpose the grasping device is preferably mounted on a lifting columncapable of vertical movement.

In principle, it does not matter where the can shifting device islocated, but it is especially advantageous and space-saving for it to belocated on the can conveying device, since one single can shiftingelement suffices, in that manner, for all of the machines or devicesapproachable by the can conveying device.

The can conveying device is, preferably, provided with two can holdinglocations, each of which is assigned a separate can shifting device. Inorder to be able to use the can conveying device without rotation over180° for both longitudinal sides of a spinning or twisting machine, thecan shifting device for the exchange of cans can be moved, at will, inone or the other direction perpendicular to the can conveying device.

For the sake of optimal control of the can conveying device and,thereby, for the sake of optimal can supply and removal, it isespecially advantageous for the machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers and for the can conveying device to beconnected for the control of the can conveying device to commoncontrols. These common controls, thus determine the sequence of thedifferent tasks and ensure, in this manner, that no stoppages occur butthat cans are always available for continued operation at the differentmachines and devices.

The control device may go beyond a normal computer and be provided withcontact-less transmitters along the route of the can conveying device,the transmitters interacting with an appropriate, also contact-lessreceiver on the can conveying device. The transmitter and the receiverare, advantageously, made in form of infrared devices.

In spinning or twisting machines, a plurality of cans must be arrangednext to each other. Such machines have a plurality of identicaladjoining work stations which must be supplied from these cans, so thatit is necessary to assign a can to each work station. This is waspossible in the past only by arranging the cans in two rows. To avoidthis, an additional embodiment of the invention provides for the cans tobe made in form of flat cans and for the can conveying device to becapable of travelling at a perpendicular to the longitudinal sense ofthe flat cans.

It has proven to be especially advantageous for the can storage facilityto extend transversely to the longitudinal sense of the flat cans whenflat cans are to be conveyed. On the other hand, it is advantageous forthe can replacement device to be moved parallel to the longitudinalsense of the flat cans on the can conveying device or in the can storagefacility.

The flat cans are designed, according to the invention, in such mannerthat their width is essentially equal to the width of a work station ofa spinning or twisting machine and their dimensions are selected so thatthe capacity of the flat can is equal to the capacity of round can usednormally in spinning or twisting machines. In that case, it is possibleto arrange the cans at the machine in one row. It is advantageous tosize the flat cans so that the capacity of the flat can is essentiallythe same as that of a round can with a diameter of 450 to 500 mm. It hasbeen found that for this purpose it is sufficient if the length of theflat can is substantially four times its width.

If a flat can is used in combination with a sensor which scans thecontents of the can through a window, the flat can is advantageouslyequipped with a window on each of its narrow sides so that it does notmatter which narrow side is presented to the sensor.

For orderly loading and loading it has shown to be advantageous for thecan to be given an unattached bottom which can be lifted up by actionfrom outside.

"Machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers", in the senseof the instant invention, are understood to be those textile machineswhich treat or process fiber slivers. Among these are, for example,drawing frames and spinning machines such as ring, air, false-twist andopen-end spinning machines, but other textile machines which are fedfiber slivers for processing, such as for example circular knittingmachines which are fed fiber slivers for the production of pile fabricsand carpets can also be suitable. Operational elements may, therefore,be carding devices (in a card), a drawing frame (e.g. in a card or airspinning machine), a spindle (e.g. in a ring spinning machine), aspinning element (spinning rotor etc. in an open-end spinning machine),a needle cylinder (in a circular knitting machine) etc. The location atwhich these operational elements are to be found shall be designatedhereinafter as the "work station". As a rule a textile machine withwhich the object of the invention can be used has more than one workstation, i.e. more than only one "machine or device treating orprocessing fiber slivers", but the invention is not limited to this.

In the sense of the instant invention, a "fiber sliver" should beunderstood to be any fiber sliver constituted by fibers, whether or notthe fiber sliver has a certain twist, as is the case with rovings.

The instant invention allows, in an optimal manner, to carry out thereplacement of cans on machines or devices treating or processing fiberslivers and to convey these cans between such machines or devices. Theoptimization is achieved through different measures applied to thesemachines or devices themselves or between them. The process or devicecharacteristics allow for substantial automation of the cantransportation while the can replacement, at the spinning stations, iscarried out faster and more reliably, as well as for compensation of thework cycles on the different machines or devices connected to each othervia a conveying device, in that the cans, which are not needed at themoment and/or are to be checked, are put in intermediate storage betweenthe machines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers until theyhave been checked and/or are needed at another machine or device. Thedegree of effectiveness of such a machine installation is thusincreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below through embodimentsand with the help of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic top-view of an installation with a card, a drawingframe, and an open-end spinning machine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of an installation with two open-endspinning machines and a drawing frame and with a can conveying device tosupply the rotor spinning machine with fiber slivers;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a group of spinning stations and a canconveying device for conveying flat cans and for replacing flat cans atthe spinning stations;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a can conveying carriage in front of arow of cans;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a flat can with dimensions in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of the beginning and end of a drawingframe for interacting with a can conveying device;

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of a drawing frame with a first canstorage facility for the empty cans and a second drawing frame for thefull cans;

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of an alternative arrangement of two canstorage facilities;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a drawing frame and two can storage facilities;

FIG. 10 is a detailed side view of the device shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the can conveying device shown inFIG. 4;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are a schematic top view of a plurality of cans in aspinning and twisting machine and a can conveying device during fillingand unloading of a can;

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view of an overall installation, includingcontrols;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are schematic plan views of two machine installationscapable of being coupled together via controls;

FIG. 17 is a schematic representation of a can conveying device;

FIGS. 18 and 19 are schematic side views, each of a can conveying deviceat a can inspection point;

FIG. 20 is a schematic side representation of a can tilting device;

FIG. 21 is a schematic representation of a "can required" notifier whichis connected to the controls shown in FIG. 14 for control;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a flat can to which a "can required"notifier is assigned;

FIG. 23 is a top view on a can conveying device at a spinning ortwisting station;

FIG. 24 is a side view of the can conveying device shown in FIG. 23, ina different working position;

FIGS. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken on line A-A in FIG. 24; and

FIG. 26 is a top-view, similar to FIG. 23, but in a different workingposition.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As mentioned earlier, the invention can be used in combination withdifferent textile machines or devices which treat or process fiberslivers. In the following description an actual embodiment, taken as anexample, is a conventional open-end spinning machine 1 consisting ofcard 3 and of a drawing frame 30 which is to be described with referenceto FIG. 1.

The supply device of card 3 is not shown for the sake of clarity. Thecard 3 supplies a can 4 be means of a filling head which is not shownhere, the can being conveyed to the drawing frame 30, as are the othercans (see route 90). In the embodiment shown, six fiber slivers 400 to405 taken from cans 410 to 415 are fed to a drawing frame head 301. Thethickness of the delivered fiber sliver in can 41 corresponds to thethickness of the individual fiber slivers 400 to 405 being fed. Oneither side of the drawing frame 30, reserve cans 420 to 425 arestanding in a second row. The fiber slivers are conveyed above a sliverguiding table 300. For further details, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,018.

The newly formed fiber sliver (not shown) is fed into a can 43 by afilling head 31 which is part of the drawing frame 30. This can is movedout of the drawing frame head 301 once it has been filled. The can 43 isthen brought to an open-end spinning machine 1 (see route 900).

Normally an open-end spinning machine is equipped with a plurality ofadjoining work or spinning stations 10, arranged on one or bothlongitudinal machine sides of the open-end spinning machine 1. Eachspinning station 10 is designed in the usual manner and is equipped witha spinning element, e.g. a spinning rotor to which a fiber sliver 4 isfed so that it may be spun into a yarn (not shown) in a known manner.

In the device shown in FIG. 1, the cans 43 are sized so that they extendacross two adjoining spinning stations 10. For this reason every otherspinning station 10a is assigned a can 43a of a first row of cans a, andeach spinning station 10b, is assigned a can 43b of a second row of cansb.

If it appears that the fiber sliver 4 is about to run out in such a cangroup 430, consisting of a can 43a and a can 43b, an appropriate impulseis transmitted to the controls of the open-end spinning machine 1 whichthen cause a can 43c to be placed at disposal as soon as possible in awaiting position behind the two cans 43a and 43b. As soon as the can 43aor 43b, from which the fiber sliver 4 is currently taken for spinninghas been emptied, the fiber sliver is taken out of can 43c and fed intothe appropriate feeding device (not shown) of the spinning station 10aor 10b of such a pair of spinning stations which has been stopped by thedepletion of the fiber sliver 4. The third can row C thus constitutes acan storage for cans 43.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment in which a can storage 5, consisting oftwo can stores 50, 51, is provided on the drawing frame 30. FIG. 2schematically shows part of an installation with a drawing frame 30 andtwo spinning or twisting machines 11, 110, with only a portion of eachshown in their longitudinal extension. The drawing frame 30 is equippedwith a filling head 31 and with a can storage facility 50, 51, whichshall be described in greater detail herein below. The intake 302 of thedrawing frame 30 is laid out to interact with six round cans 400 to 405,for example (six times doubling). Each of the spinning or twistingmachines 11, 110 is provided with an end head 12 which is located near apredetermined connecting route (route 901 shown by a broken line). Theroute 901 lets out into the output of drawing frame 30 so that the canconveying device 2 (see FIG. 3) can be positioned between the canstorage facilities 50, 51. The route 90 can be constituted by a guidingline (optical sensory analysis) on the bottom of the vehicle or by acurrent conductor (inductive sensory analysis) beneath the bottom of thecan conveying device 2 made in form of a ground vehicle. Thus,transmitters (not shown) operating in a contact-less manner may beprovided along the route 901 of the can conveying device, e.g. infra-reddevices interacting with the can conveying device 2 with a receiver (notshown) functioning also in a contact-less manner. In this embodiment, nocan storage facility is assigned to the spinning or twisting machine 11or 110.

Two bifurcations (routes 902, 903) connected to the route 901 extendalong each of the machines 10, 110, whereby the two bifurcations taketheir course in proximity to the machines 50, 51 and parallel to eachother and to the longitudinal axis of the machines.

When the spinning station 10, (see FIG. 1) with a can to be replaced, islocated in the row of spinning stations closer to the spinning ortwisting machine 11, the can conveying device 2 is given a travelcommand by a "can required" notifier 85, which shall be described ingreater detail further below, to the spinning or twisting machine 11,ordering it to follow route 901 first, upon leaving the draw frame 30and to branch off from this route only when it has reached the route 903assigned to the spinning or twisting machine 110. In the case of thearrangement shown in FIG. 2, this is the third bifurcation. Thus, thecan conveying device 2 is moved along spinning or twisting machine 11 insuch manner as to be able to carry out the desired can replacementoperation thanks to suitable positioning in the longitudinal sense ofthe machine, without being able to come any closer to the machine 11.The same applies with respect to the machine 110 when the can conveyingdevice 2 receives a travel command to move along route 902 of thisspinning or twisting machine 110.

As indicated, the route 901 can be extended in order to connect thedrawing frame 30 to other machines or machine sides. These can also bemachines of different types.

A machine arrangement, as shown in FIG. 2, can be controlled from thespinning or twisting machine 11, 110 in that each machine is connectedvia a signalling circuit (not shown) to the drawing frame 30 andtransmits "delivery orders" to the drawing frame 30. The drawing frame30 transmits such delivery orders on to the can conveying device 2, e.g.when the latter is in a can receiving position facing the drawing frame30. The can conveying device 2, itself, can be provided with sufficientintelligence (computing capability) to convert the "delivery orders"into "travel commands" and to carry out these travel commandsaccordingly. This will be described further below in greater detail.

A configuration of a "can required" notifier 85 to be provided at eachspinning or twisting machine 11, 110 per spinning station 10 is nowexplained through FIG. 21. This Figure shows a delivery roller 14 or anopen-end spinning machine 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) which can be driventhrough an individual drive 140, for instance, but this type of drive isof no importance since that a common drive may also be used for severaladjoining spinning stations 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). A switching flag 850is located on the shaft 141 of the delivery roller 14 which comesperiodically within range of a light barrier 851 and of a photoelectriccell 853 when the delivery roller 141 rotates. The photoelectric cell853 when the delivery roller 141 rotates. The photoelectric cell 853 isconnected via a circuit 854 to a control device 855 of the open-endspinning machine 1 which is, in turn, connected via a data circuit 81 tocontrol 8, which will be discussed further later.

The control device 855, together with the light barrier 85 constitutes ameasuring device. This is because when the switching flag has emitted agiven number of impulses corresponding to a given length and, thereby,to a given consumption of the fiber sliver 4, the control device 855 ofthe open-end spinning machine 1 actuates an impulse via the data circuit81 in the control 8, said impulse being processed by the control 8 andbeing understood as a call for a full can 43 or 44. The control 8 may beinstalled on the can conveying device 2 itself (as described above) ormay be stationary (as shall be explained in further detail later, inconnection with FIGS. 14 and 15).

To avoid premature replacement of a sliver can by the new can, i.e. whenthe fiber sliver 4 has not yet been completely used up from the can atthe spinning station 10 concerned, an additional light barrier 856 isprovided before the delivery roller of the spinning station 10concerned, between a light source 857 and a photoelectric cell 858. Thephotoelectric cell 858 is connected for control to the control device855 on the machine which is connected, either directly to the canconveying device 2, or via the central control 8, brings about theactual can replacement at the spinning station when the fiber sliver 4going into the spinning station 10 runs out.

The can conveying device 2 to which the "can required" notifier 85 canbe connected is located at either one of the machines installed in aplant or along the route between these machines, e.g. on a drawing frame30 and a spinning or twisting machine 11 or 110 or between one of thesemachines and a can storage facility (e.g. can magazine 600 or 601) whichcan also be installed independently of these machines as shown in FIGS.14 and 15.

Another "can required" notifier 86 is shown in FIG. 22. The "canrequired" notifier 86 is made in form of a sensor which scans thecontents of a can, e.g. of a flat can 44 and is connected via a circuit860 to the control device 855 (see FIG. 21) at the machine.

For the "can required" notifier 86 to be able to verify the contents ofa can, i.e. The interior of the can, the flat can 44 is provided with awindow 446 at its narrow side, the window extending substantially overthe entire height of the can, in the embodiment shown, and being sealedby a transparent insert to prevent impairment of fiber sliver deposit orremoval. When the fiber sliver reaches the lower border of the windowthe "can required" notifier 86 is triggered and initiates the additionalsteps as described.

The "can required" notifier 86 is located on the side of the can awayfrom the servicing side so that it need not be mounted so as to becapable of movement. This is indicated in FIG. 22 by an arrow P₇ whichindicates the direction in which a can is presented to its work station.

In principle, a small window at the lower end of the flat can 44 wouldsuffice. However, in order to provide different advance times from thetime a flat can 44 is called up as a result of the "can required"notifier 86 being triggered to the time of can replacement, an oblongwindow 446 is necessary so that the desired advance time may be selectedby changing the height adjustment of the "can required" notifier 86, inrelation to the flat can 44, i.e. through vertical adjustment of the"can required" notifier 86 along window 446.

One window 446 suffices for round cans 43 (see FIG. 1). With flat cans44 it is best for a small window or a window 446 extending practicallyover the entire can height to be provided at both narrow sides, at thelower can end (not shown), as the flat can 44 may be brought at willwith either one or the other end into its work position and, thereby,within the scanning range of the "can required" notifier 86.

A "can required" notifiers may similarly be provided also at othermachines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the cans in which the fiber sliver 4is deposited do not have a round profile but are of oblong configuration(flat can 44). their two long sides (side walls 440, 441, see FIG. 5)can thus serve as guides, as shall be described further below.Furthermore, the cans 44 may be sized so that only one single row ofcans must be provided per row of work or spinning stations of thespinning or twisting machine 11, 110 (see can row a in FIG. 1)

The flat can 44 shown in FIG. 2 has two parallel side walls 440, 441which define the can width B (See FIG. 5). The flat can 44 has also twoend pieces 442, 443 which connect the side walls 440, 441 to each otherand define the can length L. FIG. 5 shows rounded end pieces 442, 443whereby the end pieces may also be perpendicular instead of round inrelation to the side walls 440, 441 or may be polygonal inconfiguration. The can length L is considerably greater (e.g. three tofour times greater) than the can width B which is essentially equal tothe width of a work or spinning station 10. In this manner, i.e. becauseof the length of the flat can, being substantially four times its width,a capacity of the flat can (flat can 44) is obtained that is equal tothe capacity of a round can normally used in a spinning or twistingmachine.

The capacity of the flat can 44 should be as close as possible to thecapacity of the round can (e.g. can 43 of FIG. 1) with a diameter of 450to 500 mm. If it is assumed, for example, that the diameter of aconventional round can is approximately 457 mm, a flat can 44, accordingto FIG. 5, with a can width B of 230 mm and a can length L of 780 mmshould have a slightly greater capacity than the round can. In otherwords, the length (can length L) of the flat can 44 need not be twicethe diameter of the round can in order to have the same capacity. Theheight of the can (round or flat can) is determined by the constructionof the spinning or twisting machine frame because the cans 43 or 44 mustbe placed underneath the spinning station.

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged representation of the drawing frame 30, shownin FIG. 2, with two can storage facilities 50, 51 and a can conveyingdevice 2 located between these can storage facilities 50, 51. Thedrawing frame 30 is equipped with a filling head 31 with an alternatingdevice 310 for the back-and-forth movement of a flat can 44 in itslongitudinal direction during the filling process in order to distributethe fiber sliver 4 evenly in the flat can 44. The drawing frame 30, inturn, is provided with a first can storage facility 50 for empty cansand with a second can storage facility 51 for full cans. The flat cans44 are arranged with their longitudinal axis parallel to each other ineach of the can storage facilities 50, 51.

Since the can storage facilities 50, 51 are located before or after thefilling head 31, they are outside the actual drawing frame 30 and,therefore, between two machines or devices treating or processing fiberslivers, i.e. between the drawing frame 30 and the spinning or twistingmachine 11 or 110. Nevertheless, the two can storage facilities 50, 51are located in immediate proximity of the drawing frame 30. The canreceiving point 500 and the can delivery point 511 are thereby installedat the drawing frame 30 with intercalation of a can storage facility 50or 51.

The can storage facilities 50 and 51, or one of them, may also beomitted if the cans move directly to or from the open-end spinningmachine 1, it being, of course, necessary to provide for a "flyingchange-over" of the can conveying device 2, in that case. This meansthat in such an embodiment several can conveying devices 2 are requiredat the same time in one installation.

As will be shown and explained further below, a can storage facilitycan, however, also be installed independently of such a machine ordevice for processing fiber slivers 4.

The two can storage facilities 50, 51 together may be part of a canstorage facility 5 (See FIGS. 7 and 8). The can storage facility 50comprises a can receiving point 500 at its end away from the fillinghead 31 from which a flat can 44 can be transferred from the canconveying device 2 to the can storage facility 50. This can storagefacility 50 also comprises a transfer point 501 from which a flat can 44is delivered to the filling head 31 of the draw frame 30. The flat cans44 are moved, by means not shown, perpendicularly to their longitudinalaxis from the can receiving point 500 to the transfer point 501.

The can storage facility 51, correspondingly, comprises a can receivingpoint 510 on its end near the filling head 31 to receive a full can fromthe filling 31 of the drawing frame 30 and a can delivery point 511 forthe transfer of a full can to the can conveying device 2. The flat cans44 are moved in this case in a direction perpendicular to theirlongitudinal axis, between the receiving point 510 and the can deliverypoint 511.

The reception of a flat can 44 on the can conveying device 2, or thedelivery of a flat can 44 from the can conveying device 2 is effected bya movement of the flat can 44, in question, in its longitudinaldirection so that the required movements at the drawing frame 30 and atthe spinning or twisting machine are identical. The flat cans 44 arethus arranged on the can conveying device 2 with their long sides (sidewalls 400, 441) next to each other and transversely to the direction oftravel of the can conveying device 2.

FIG. 6 shows the can receiving point 500 of the can storage facility 50unoccupied, and, for this reason, the flat can 44, shown here, is onlyrepresented by a broken line. By means of a synchronized shiftingmovement the can conveying device 2 is unloaded to the other s the shownposition, at the drawing frame 30 and a full can is loaded from theother side at the same time, in that, empty flat can 44 is brought outof the can conveying device 2 from position 44a into the position 44b,shown by broken lines, i.e. into the can receiving point 500 while atthe same time a flat can 44 previously filled by the filling head 31 ofthe drawing frame 30 is brought from position 44c, i.e. from the candelivery point 511 into position 44a on the can conveying device 2.

Depending on the design of the machine or of a can storage facility 50,51, it is simultaneously possible to unload several cans and to load anequal number of cans on the can conveying device 2. For the sake ofsimple control and a simple device, only one single full can 44 isloaded and only one single empty can is, accordingly, unloadedsimultaneously from the can conveying device 2, in the embodiment shown.In similar fashion, it is, of course, possible for an empty can to beloaded and for a full can to be unloaded at the same time with machinesor devices treating or processing fiber slivers such as for instance acircular knitting machine for the production of plush fabrics etc.

As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, a can receiving point 500 of the canstorage facility 50, as well as, the can delivery point 511 of the canstorage facility 51 are installed in the immediate proximity of eachother and along route 901 of the can conveying device 2. The canconveying device 2 is equipped with a can-receiving element 20 and withtwo end elements 21, 22. End elements 21, 22 supports posts 210, 220,these posts, in turn, supporting a beam 23 which serves as a guide railfor a can shifting device 7. The can shifting device 7 can be movedalong the longitudinal axis of the beam 23 and can, thereby, bepresented to individual flat cans 44 on the can conveying device 2. Thecan shifting device 7 is equipped with its own rail 710 which isperpendicular to the beam 23 and serves as a guide rail of a can pusher71 (see FIG. 3). The can pusher 71 of the can conveying device 2 has agrasping device (not shown) which pushes the flat can 44 from the canconveying device 2 into the can receiving point 500 on the drawing frame30 through a movement that is parallel to the longitudinal extension ofthe can and transversel to the direction of travel of the can conveyingdevice 2, and, at the same time, pulls a second flat can 44 from the candelivery point 511 onto the can conveying device 2.

Each of the end elements 21, 22 of the can conveying device 2 isequipped with wheels 24 (see FIG. 11) which make it possible for the canconveying device 2, made in form of a floor vehicle in the shownembodiment, to move perpendicularly to the longitudinal side of thereceived flat can 44. The can conveying device 2 has a drive (not shown)and possibly controls which control a steering system (not shown) forthe wheels 24.

When the can conveying device 2 leaves the drawing frame 30 it is loadedwith ten full flat cans 44, with free space for the reception of oneempty can.

For one single exchange of cans to be possible, between two and twelvecan holding surfaces must be provided on the can conveying device 2.

If too many can holding surfaces are provided one behind the other onthe can conveying device 2, the latter becomes too large and, especiallyin curves and at bifurcation, becomes very hard to maneuver.

If only one can holding surface is provided, this means that one canmust be unloaded before another one may be received. As a result ofthis, the full unloaded can must first be brought to the final workstation by the can conveying device 2 in machines where the canreceiving point is, at the same time the can delivery point, as is thecase in long spinning or twisting machine 11, 110, and this is difficultto achieve automatically. A practical number of can holding surfaces onthe can conveying device 2 is, therefore, between two and twelve asmentioned.

FIG. 17 shows an embodiment of the can shifting device 7 with rail 710on which a can pusher 75 is provided in such manner as to be capable ofsliding along rail 710, can pusher 75 being, in turn, provided with twocan grasping devices 726 and 727. The right can (flat can 44) was firston a pedestal 530 which is located at the same level "N" as anotherpedestal 53 as well as the upper edge of the can-receiving element 20 ofthe can conveying device 2. Furthermore, the pedestals 53 and 530, whichare part of the can storage facility 50 or 51, are arranged as shown inFIG. 6 so that, by a simple translation movement, the flat can 44 on theright side on the pedestal 530 can be put on the can conveying device 2by means of the grasping device 727, while at the same time the flat can44, which was previously on the can conveying device 2, is placed bymeans of the grasping device 726 on the pedestal 53. Both shiftingmovements are thus effected, simultaneously, through one single movementof the can pusher 75, so that the loading and the unloading processtakes place without lifting or lowering either of the cans (flat can44).

Depending on the design of the can storage facility 50 or 51, it may bepossible to carry out one movement alone as a translation movement orother horizontal movement, e.g. can unloading, while a combinedtranslation/lifting movement may be required for loading. This may bethe case, for example, when both can storage facilities 50 and 51 are inform of roller conveyors on which the empty or full cans (e.g. flat cans44) glide autonomously into the transfer point 501 or into the candelivery point 511 as a result of an appropriate incline. In this casethe can receiving point 500 and the can delivery point 511 are naturallyat different levels so that this height difference must be compensatedat least at one these points during loading or unloading.

In the described embodiment, the two can storage facilities 50 and 51serve to put cans, which are not needed immediately, in intermediatestorage. Thus, an empty can (e.g. a flat can 44) taken from a spinningor twisting machine 11, 110, e.g. an open-end spinning machine 1 or someother textile machine, e.g. a circular knitting machine for theproduction of plush or carpet fabrics, is temporarily put inintermediate storage at the drawing frame 30 in the can storage facility50 until the drawing frame 30 is able to fill this can. On the otherhand, a newly filled can remains in the can storage facility 51 until itis needed by the machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers.

The replacement of the empty can by a flat can 44 at the same time inthe same work cycle is, however, not limited to the u-shaped arrangementof the can storage facilities 50 and 51 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. Otherarrangements are shown schematically in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 8 shows a linear arrangement of the can storage facilities 50, 51,transversely to the route 901 of the can conveying device 2, whereby aflat can 44 must be moved by means of an arc-like movement on the canconveying device 2. Here, the can conveying device is in the centralplane between the two can storage facilities 50 and 51, as in theembodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, but is not parallel to the canstorage facilities but in a plane that is perpendicular to thelongitudinal sense of the two can storage facilities 50 and 51.

As long as the can conveying device 2 (as in the embodiments shown inFIGS. 2, 6 and 8) is in the storage plane defined by the longitudinalextension of the can storage facilities 50 and 51, an identical movementof the same magnitude can be provided simultaneously for loading as wellas for unloading of the can conveying device. In other words, to achievethis simultaneous loading and unloading of the can conveying device 2,it is necessary for the can receiving point 500 and for the can deliverypoint 511 to be placed symmetrically, with respect to the can conveyingdevice 2 in can replacement position. The simplest loading and unloadingmovements are then achieved when the two can storage facilities 50 and51 are parallel to each other, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6.

FIG. 7 shows another linear arrangement of the can storage facilities 50and 51, but contrary, to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 it is parallelto the route 901 of the can conveying device 2 and perpendicular to thelongitudinal extension of the flat can 44. The flat can 44, to befilled, is brought to the filling head 31 of the drawing frame 30 fromthe can storage facility 50 from the same side to which the filled flatcan 44 is later unloaded to be put into the can storage facility 51.Such an embodiment presumes that the can receiving point 500 and the candelivery point 511 are at the opposite ends of the can storage facility5. To be able to carry out simultaneous loading and unloading of the canconveying device 2 in this case, it is necessary for the can shiftingdevice 7 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) to be divided into two shifting elementswhich are synchronized with each other by means of appropriate controls.

According to FIG. 3 the can shifting device 7 is installed on the canconveying device 2, but this is not an absolute condition to carry outcan replacement in particular, in an embodiment of the can storagefacility 50, 51 according to FIG. 7, a stationary arrangement of the canshifting device 7, divided into two shifting elements may be veryadvantageous. One shifting element is used here to unload the canconveying device 2 while the other shifting element serves to load thecan conveying device 2. Depending on the placement of the can storagefacilities 50, 51, in relation to each other and/or to the can conveyingdevice 2, it is possible to place the two shifting elements (not shown)also in one and the same working plane, perpendicular to the route ofthe can conveying device 2, e.g. in an embodiment as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 shows such a device of FIG. 7 in greater detail. The two canstorage facilities 50 and 51 are each assigned can shifting devices inform of conveyor belts or chains 502 or 512 which are deflected by meansof deflection pulleys 503 or 513 in the immediate proximity of anadditional conveyor belt or an additional conveyor chain 32. Theconveyor belt or conveyor chain 32 extends from the can storage facility5 into proximity of the filling head 31 of the drawing frame 30 and isdeflected by means of deflection pulley 320. The conveyor chain 32drives a catch 321 which engages the flat can 44 and conveys it intorange of the filling head 31 where the flat can 44 is taken over by twoarms 33 of can shifting means made in form of an alternating device. Thearms 33 can be pivoted back out of range of the flat can 44 so that saidflat can 44 may be brought back, by the conveyor belt 32, into thealternating range of the drawing frame 30, and arms 33 can, furthermore,be moved towards each other and constitute a grasper to be able to holdthe flat can 44 firmly between them. The alternating device is requiredbecause, contrary to the filling of round cans by the filling head ofdrawing frame 30, the fiber sliver 4 cannot be distributed evenly in theflat can 44.

So as not to interfere with the alternating movement which is necessaryto fill a flat can 44, the conveyor chain 32 is brought back from thealternating area of draw frame 30 and into its base position in whichthe catch 321 is located on the side of can storage facility 5 away fromthe drawing frame 30.

An additional conveyor chain 34 with a catch 341 which is deflected bydeflection pulleys 340 is provided.

The deflection pulleys 320 are placed so that the catch 321 can bebrought from the side of can storage facility 5 away from the drawingframe 30 into the immediate proximity of the filling head 31 for thereception of a flat can 44, so that said flat can 44 may then bereceived by the arms 33. The deflection pulleys 340 of the conveyorchain 34 are arranged so that the flat can 44 may be brought back intothe can storage facility 5 by the catch 341, which is, at first, on theside away from the can storage facility 5. At the same time the conveyorchains 32 and 34 are parallel to each other over a certain distance sothat their effective areas overlap. The two conveyor chains 32 and 34constitute together a can shifting device to present and remove a flatcan 44.

The can storage facility 5 is equipped with a horizontal can holdingsurface so that the can receiving point 500 and the can delivery point511 may be on the same level. Thus, it is not necessary to overcomedifferences in height with the can conveying device 2, either at the canreceiving point 500 or at the can delivery point 511 or at both thesepoints. In the embodiment shown (in FIG. 9), the conveyor belts orconveyor chains 502 or 512 are designed in the form of roller bearingelements and are not equipped with any catch in the manner of conveyorchains 32 and 34 which function merely as pulling elements. For thisreason roller conveyors 35 with a plurality of rollers 350 on which theflat can 44 is able to slide with ease are provided on both sides of theconveyor chains 32 and 34. As an alternative, it is also possible toprovide driven rollers instead of conveyor belts or chains.

FIG. 10 shows a detail from FIG. 9, in a view taken along line B--B. Ascan be seen, at each transition point between the conveyor belts orconveyor chains 502 or 512 of the can storage facility 50 or 51 and theconveyor chain 32, filler pieces 52 or 520 which fill each interval areprovided to ensure that the flat cans are not able to tilt as they passfrom the can storage facility 50 into the area of the conveyor chain 32or as they pass from the arc of the conveyor chain 32 into the canstorage facility 51.

As stated earlier, the filled flat cans 44 must be brought to thespinning or twisting machine 11, 110 (see FIG. 2), e.g. to open-endspinning machines 1 (see FIG. 1) in order to be exchanged for empty flatcans 44. In order to be able to describe this in greater detail,reference is again made to FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 shows twenty-three spinning stations 10 of an open-end spinningmachine 1 as well as a can conveying device 2 to convey and to exchangeflat cans 44 at the spinning stations 10.

The can receiving element 20 of the can conveying device 2 is subdividedby intermediate walls 200 into compartments 201, with each compartment201 being suitable for the reception of a flat can 44, effected througha movement of said flat can 44 in its longitudinal sense.

The can shifting device 7 can be presented to the individualcompartments 201 of the can-receiving element 20 by travelling alongbeam 23. In the exchange movements of the flat cans 44 the latter areguided onto the can conveying device 2 by the intermediate walls 200.Also, in the open-end spinning machine 1 (or other spinning or twistingmachine 11, 110) the flat cans 44 are guided by guides 130 and 131located near the upper and/or lower end of the flat can 44.

The can conveying device 2 is guided by plant controls, which shall bediscussed in greater detail further below to a selected spinning station10 where the flat can 44 is to be replaced. By means of an appropriatepositioning system (not shown here) the can conveying device 2 is firstpositioned so that its empty compartment 201 is lined up with thespinning station 10 at which the flat can 44 is to be replaced. The canshifting device 7 is assigned to the empty compartment 201 of the canconveying device 2 and the can pusher 71 is moved in the direction ofthe machine so that its grasper (not shown) is able to grasp the emptycan 44 which is to be replaced. The flat can 44 to be replaced is pulledinto the previously empty compartment 201 of the can conveying device 2by a movement of the can pusher 71 away from the machine (see also FIG.12).

The can conveying device 2 is then moved on in order to align acompartment 201 of the can conveying device 2 occupied by a full flatcan 44 with the corresponding spinning station 10. By moving the canshifting device 7 in the direction of spinning station 10, this flat can44 is then moved into operating position.

The can conveying device 2 can now be presented to another selectedspinning station 10 where the process is repeated, and whereby the emptycompartment 201 of the can conveying device 2 is now no longer at itsoriginal place but at the location of the full flat can 44 which waslast transferred to the machine. By repeating this process the emptycompartment 201 is shifted step by step until all the full flat cans 44have been introduced into the open-end spinning machine 1 and have beenreplaced by empty flat cans 44 (or at least cans requiring replacement).The can conveying device 2 is then moved back to draw frame 30.

The can receiving element 20 of the can conveying device 2 need not beconnected rigidly to the end elements 21, 22 of the can conveying device2. As indicated in FIG. 3 by double arrows 25, element 20 may also bemounted so as to be adjustable in height in relation to the end elements21, 22 so as to be able to move the flat cans 44 at the same level fromelement 20 into their loading or unloading position at the draw frame 30or open-end spinning machine 1 or some other textile machine or device,and of course also in the opposite direction.

The can conveying device 2 may, in principle, be of different design,e.g. in form of a car able to travel on a railway (not shown). However,it is preferably designed in the form of a floor vehicle travelling onrails or without rails.

FIGS. 4 and 11 show a can conveying device 26 in form of a floor vehiclewhich is different in design from the can conveying device 2 shown inFIG. 3.

The can conveying device 26 according to FIGS. 4 and 11 has a canreceiving element 260 and two end elements 261 and 262. The canreceiving element 260 has, in all, only two can holding surfaces 263 and269, i.e. one can holding surface 269 which is normally occupied by acan 43 or 44 (full or empty) as well as a second can holding surface 263(shown in broken line) which is kept empty to receive a can 43 or 44(full or empty). The two end elements 261, 262 are provided with wheels24 of which at least one set can be steered. Preferably, both sets ofwheels are steerable so that the can conveying device 26 can be moved inboth directions, also at a perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thereceived cans 43 or 44. The end elements 261, 262 contain electricdrives (not shown in FIGS. 4 and 11). Furthermore, each end element 261or 262 supports can shifting devices 70 or 700, shown only schematicallyin FIG. 11 but which shall be described in further detail below inconnection with FIGS. 22 to 25.

The two can shifting devices (elements) 70 and 700 are placed one behindthe other at a distance from each other equal to the width of the canholding surfaces 263, 269 and are able to move in two planes, which canbe moved at a perpendicular to the route of the can conveying device 26.Both can shifting devices (elements) 70 and 700 can also be controlledindependently of each other, as shall be seen from the followingdescription.

The can conveying device 26 is built to carry out travel commands,whereby the can conveying device leaves the draw frame 30 (see FIGS. 1and 2) with one full can 43 or 44 and follows a fixed route 901 to aselected spinning station 10. Upon arrival at the spinning station 10,where the exchange of cans is to be carried out, one can holding surface263 is empty, while the other can holding surface 269 is occupied by afull can 43 or 44. The exchange of cans by the can shifting device 700now takes place in that, first, an empty can 43 or 44 is loaded by meansof the can shifting device 700 (FIG. 11) from the spinning station 10 inquestion (see also FIG. 3) to the can holding surface 263 of the canconveying device 26, in that the latter is then moved on by one spinningstation division and, in that, the full can 43 or 44 is then broughtfrom the can holding surface 269 of the can conveying device 26 to theliberated point below the spinning station 10 (see also FIGS. 12 and13), so that the can holding surface 269 on the can conveying device 26now becomes free. The can holding surface below the spinning station 10is, thereby, at the same time a can delivery and a can receivingsurface.

Upon completed can replacement, the can conveying device 26 travels backto the draw frame 30 in order to exchange the empty can 43 or 44 and inorder to then receive the next travel command. The vehicle controls areprovided with sufficient intelligence (computer capacity) to be able tocarry out a travel command without requiring additional information ormessages with a master computer, so that a continuous communicationconnection between the master computer and the can conveying device canbe omitted.

The can shifting device 700 shall now be described in detail throughFIGS. 23 to 26. FIG. 23 shows a top view of such a can shifting device700 together with the end elements 443 of two flat cans 44.

Each end piece 443 of a flat can 44 is provided with two brackets 444and with a projecting piece in form of a support piece 445 which servesto interact with the can shifting device 700 as shall be described belowin further detail. It is assumed that the can conveying device 26 (FIG.11) with the can shifting device 700 (similar to FIG. 12) is positionedacross from a selected spinning station 10 for the exchange of flat cans44.

As has already been explained through FIGS. 4 and 11, the can conveyingdevice 26 is provided with two can holding surfaces 263 and 269. Foreach can holding surface 263 or 269 its own can shifting device 70 or700 is provided on the can conveying device 26 as is indicated in FIG.11, so that the loading and the unloading process can be carried outfrom the can conveying device 26.

The two can shifting devices 70 and 700 are mirror images of each other.Merely the can shifting device 700 is described below through FIGS. 23to 26, as the structure and function of its components are exactlyidentical to those of the can shifting device 70.

At the end element 262 of the can conveying device 26, of which FIG. 25merely shows a portion and which is assembled in the embodiment shown inthe manner of a "skeleton" in light assembly, two rails 264 and 265 arelocated at different heights, and on them a bearing sled 73 is mountedin such manner as to be capable of being shifted. A toothed belt 732 isconnected to the two ends of this bearing sled 73 capable of movingtransversely to the longitudinal axis of the can conveying device 26, asis indicated in FIG. 24 by a broken line by the attachment elements 738.A motor 266, e.g. a stepping motor serves as a drive of the toothed belt732, the motor being supported on a plate 268 of the end element 262 inthe same manner as another motor 267, which may also be made in the formof a stepping motor and the role of which shall be explained furtherbelow. The motor 266 of which only one drive roller can be recognized inFIG. 24, drives the toothed belt 732 which is deflected over deflectionpulleys 733, which are also attached on the plate 268, and is therebyheld in engagement with the drive roller of the motor 266, whereby asurrounding loop of over 180° is produced by the two deflection pulleys733.

Depending on the direction of rotation of the motor 266, the bearingsled 73 can, thus, be moved from one end of the guide rails 730, 731 tothe other end and back, i.e. in one direction (see arrow X) or in theopposite direction (see arrow Y), at a perpendicular to the longitudinalextension and direction of travel of the can conveying device 26.

The can shifting device 700 is provided with a grasping device 72 and acan pushing device 74 in the form of a carrier which is made in the formof a trolley (sled) for back-and-forth movement on the bearing sled 73.The can pushing device 74 moves in the one direction (arrow X) towardthe open-end spinning machine 1 (FIG. 3) and in the other direction(arrow Y) away from the machine. The second motor 267, drives an endlesstoothed belt 737 which is deflected by means of deflection pulleys 739attached to the end element 262 is provided for this movement. Thetoothed belt 737 supports a catch 736 by which the can pushing device 74is connected to said toothed belt 737.

Two deflection pulleys 739 are provided on plate 268 for the toothedbelt 737.

The motor 267 is driven, in addition to the motor 266, to produce themovement of the can pushing device 74 in the direction of one of thearrows X or Y so that the can pushing device 74 executes a movementrelative to the bearing sled 73. The can pushing device 74 is able totravel at both ends of the bearing sled 73 but does not rise above themin any of its possible positions.

Since the bearing sled 73 can also be moved in relation to the canconveying device 2, the latter is able to maintain a certain distancefrom the open-end spinning machine 1 without impairing the replacementprocess. The drives shown going over the toothed belts 732, 737 make itpossible to mount the drives fixedly on the end elements 261, 262 of thecan conveying device 2.

The bearing sled 73 supports one upper and one lower guide rail 730 or731 at different heights, and on these the can pushing device 74 withits bottom plate 740 is suitably supported, e.g. by means of trackrollers, in such manner as to be capable of being shifted. The bottomplate 710 supports a lifting device 721 which may be designed in theform of a lifting cylinder for example, between two bearing arms 741which are attached to the bottom plate 710 which can be moved verticallyby the lifting device 721 and constitutes a lifting column.

The toothed-wheel disks (not shown) of the motors 266 and 267 penetratethrough the bearing sled 73, limiting the freedom of movement of bearingsled 73 so that it is able to extend out of the can conveying device 26over only a limited distance. This also applies to the can pushingdevice 74 bearing a grasping device 72 and mounted on the bearing sled73 in such manner as to be capable of being shifted. The transverseltranslation movements of the bearing sled 73 and the can pushing device74 are completely independent of each other due to the separate motors266 and 267. However, in the case where the can pushing device 74 mustnot move in relation to the bearing sled 73 while the bearing sled 73must, nevertheless, move in relation to the can conveying device 26, thedrive of the can pushing device 74 must compensate for the drive of thebearing sled 73.

Inductive as well as mechanical end switches can be used for the canpushing device 74 and the bearing sled 73.

The overall controls of the can conveying device 26 are installed on thecan conveying device.

The grasping device 72 has an L-shaped yoke 720 (FIG. 25) and theearlier-mentioned lifting device 721 which is attached on the canpushing device 71 at its lower end. The yoke 720 is connected via apivot axle 722 to the lifting device 721, whereby a sliding guide 723 isprovided to transfer the torque forces exerted upon the grasping device72 directly (instead of via lifting device 721) to the can pushingdevice 74.

The yoke 720 is, furthermore, provided with two projections 724protruding upward, each with a recess 725 (FIG. 24).

When an empty can (e.g. flat cans 44) is to be replaced at the spinningstation 10b by a full can, the can conveying device 26 travels to thespinning station 10 concerned and stops there in such a manner that itsempty can holding surface 263 is directly in front of the spinningstation 10 at which the can replacement is to be carried out.

The bearing sled 73 now travels on rails 264 and 265 transversely to thecan conveying device 2b and out of the can conveying device 2b. Onbearing sled 73 the can pushing device 74 travels transversely to thecan conveying device 2b and out of the can conveying device 2b at highspeed until it is just in front of the can and is at the same timelowered to the floor. The can pushing device 74 then travels the lastcentimeter at low speed and pushes the can 44 easily under the open-endspinning machine.

1. In this process the yoke 720 with its projections 724 comes under thesupport piece 445 at the lower end of the flat can 44 to be replaced.This ensures precise horizontal positioning of the grasping device 72.

The grasping device 72 now rises and lifts the can slightly. The supportpiece 445 is received at the same time in the recesses 725, whereuponslight continued lifting of the yoke 720 leads to a "tilting" of theflat cans 44 around their end element 442 (see FIG. 5) shown in FIG. 23meaning that the flat can 44 is tilted at a slight angle to be receivedon the can conveying device 26.

The bearing sled 73 and the can pushing device 74 are now pulled back(to the right according to FIG. 23) and the flat can 44 is therebypulled out of its position under the spinning station 10 and is placedon the holding surface 202 (can holding surface 263--see FIG. 11) of thecan-receiving element 260 of the can conveying device 26. The slighttilt of the flat cans 44 during loading of the can conveying device 2bprevents a collision between the lower can edge and the edge of thecan-receiving element 260 of the can conveying device 26.

The bearing sled 73 and the can pushing device 74 with the graspingdevice 72 travel into the can conveying device 26 so far that the canfinally stands centered on the can conveying device 26. The can is thenlowered.

The can conveying device 26 is now shifted by one spinning stationdivision (=distance from spinning station 10 to spinning station 10)which is substantially equal to the distance between the can holdingsurfaces 263 and 269 of the can conveying device 26, and thereby fromthe can holding surface of the machine to the can holding surface inorder to bring the full can (flat can 44) in front of the spinningstation 10 from which the empty can was previously removed. During thesubsequent unloading of the full can and during its transfer to theopen-end spinning machine 1 by means of the can shifting device 70, thefull can is not lifted but is only pushed out by the can pushing device74. The bracket 444 and the support piece 445 are attached at the loweredge of the flat cans 44 while the grasping device 72 runs as close aspossible to the holding surface 202.

The projection on the can which is made in form of a support piece 445in the embodiment shown and serves to interact with the correspondinggrasping device 72, may also be of a different design, e.g. in form ofone or two cylindrical projections or in form of a rectangular blockwith a recess on the underside.

Neither do the cans require any special can receiving means in thevertical direction under the spinning machine. The frame of the open-endspinning machine 1 may, however, be provided with the lateral guides(see FIGS. 3 and 4) with a certain amount of clearance in order toprevent lateral tipping of the flat cans 44 during the above-describedmovements.

Since the can (e.g. flat can 44) in the embodiment shown in constantlypulled or pushed in a sliding manner over the floor it is an advantageto provide wear-proof sliding edges either on the can or on thecorresponding can holding surfaces 263 and 269. If guides are providedon the open-end spinning machine 1 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), these are alsoadvantageously of wear-proof design, i.e. made of polyethylene. Thisalso applies to other can holding surfaces outside the can conveyingdevice 26, i.e. not only on the machine but also in the can storagefacility.

The can shifting device 700 has been shown and described in reference toFIGS. 22 to 25 for can replacement to the left. An identical canshifting device may also be provided for can replacement to the rightside or for selective can replacement to the right side or to the leftside. In such case, the bearing sled 73 is extended to the right wherebythe already described movements of the can pushing device 74 and of thegrasping device 72 are executed. While the can holding surface assignedto a given can shifting device 70 or 700 is still unoccupied, the canshifting device 70 or 700 is driven selectively for replacement on oneor the other side. However, if the can shifting device 70 or 700 hasalready moved a flat can 44 from the left side (or from the right side)to the can conveying device 2, a flat can 44 must also be delivered tothe same side, i.e. to the left (or to the right).

The delivery of a flat can 44 to the open-end spinning machine 1 iseffected by shifting the flat can 44 from the holding surface 202 in adirection that is perpendicular to the longitudinal plane of themachine. The holding surface 202 in the can conveying device 2b may beslightly higher than the holding surface in the machine. This slightdifference in height is overcome during loading of the can conveyingdevice 2b by lifting the end element 443 of the flat cans 44 by means ofthe lifting device 721.

FIG. 26 shows the device shown in FIG. 23 in its end position after theflat can 44 has been placed the can conveying device 26. The bearingsled 73 which can be shifted at a right angle to the longitudinalextension of the can conveying device 26 serves to bring the graspingdevice 72 into range of the support piece 445 of the flat can 44,without need to change its distance from the flat can 44 located underthe spinning station 10. The actual pulling movement then takes placethrough shifting of the sled-shaped can pushing device 74 on the bearingsled 73, whereby the bearing sled 73, however, returns into its baseposition.

In order to avoid excessive lifting movements for the loading of the canconveying device 26, as small a height difference as possible must beprovided between the can holding surfaces (can holding surfaces 263 and269) of the can conveying device 26 and of the machine or devicetreating or processing fiber slivers 4 and/or the can holding surfacesof the can storage facilities 50, 51, i.e. the can receiving point 500and the transfer point 501. This difference in height should not exceed100 mm but should be even less and, if possible, should not even exceed40 mm. When all of the can holding surfaces on the can conveying device26, and elsewhere, are at the same horizontal level, this is especiallyadvantageous for the can replacement or for the loading and unloading ofcans.

The small or non-existent difference in height between the different canholding surfaces can be achieved by a small distance A between thecan-receiving element 260 of the can conveying device 26 and the floor(see FIG. 11) or by means of pedestals 53 or 530 (see FIG. 17) at thesame height as the upper side of the can-receiving element 260 of thecan conveying device 26.

In the installation shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the can conveying device 2bruns directly between a spinning station 10 and the draw frame 30. Tomake sure that only perfect and perfectly filled cans 43 or 44 go fromthe draw frame 30 to the open-end spinning machine 1 or other machines,e.g. spinning or twisting machines 11 or 110, the full can is inspectedon its way between the spinning or twisting machine 11 or 110 and thedraw frame 30 or between the draw frame 30 and the spinning or twistingmachine 11 or 110, i.e. before the transfer of the can to the machine,for its physical condition, i.e. with respect to possible damage thatcould affect the further processing of the sliver, and/or with respectto its fullness.

Damage to a can may have different causes, so that its continued use inan automatic system may no longer be desirable. Such a can may stillcontain a considerable amount of fiber sliver, for example, due to asliver breakage in operation.

It is, therefore, advantageous to inspect the cans to ascertain that nomalfunctions will occur due to damage if they continue to be used.

Inspection can, of course, be carried out by the operator, but he canonly carry out spot-checks in an automated plant, and this is notsatisfactory. It is, therefore, better if a can inspection station islocated along the route of the can conveying device 2 or 26, so that theinspection of the cans may take place along the route. Thus, the canconveying device 2b itself may be equipped with a can inspection station(not shown).

When such defects or faults are detected by a can inspection stationinstalled on the can conveying device 2 or 26, it is possible for thecan to be pushed out of the can conveying device 2 or 26 at a suitablelocation in the installation, and a new can must be taken up in order tomaintain an optimal number of cans in the system. For this purpose,appropriate intermediate storage facilities are provided in theinstallation as buffer storage installations in which empty and fullcans and, cans to be inspected or which have been eliminated, can bestored.

FIG. 14 shows an arrangement of the installation in which the canconveying device 2 does not go directly into the preparation phase (drawframes 30 and 36) upon its return from a rotor spinning or othermachine, but goes first into a can inspection station 6 and delivers thecans 43 or 44, which it has received, to can inspection station 6 forinspection.

The installation, according to FIG. 14, comprises more than one machinewith a filling head 31, i.e. two drawing frames 30, 36 and also morethan one other machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers,i.e. four spinning or twisting machines 11, 110, 111 and 112 as well asa connecting route (route 91) to which the spinning or twisting machines11, 110, 111 and 112 are connected via bifurcation routes 910 to 917 andthe drawing frames 30 and 36 are connected via bifurcation routes 918and 919. The can inspection station 6 already mentioned earlier islocated along route 91 of the can conveying device 2.

Controls 8, in the form of a master computer, are provided to issue thetravel commands for the can conveying device 2, and to monitor orcontrol can management within the installation. For this purpose, thecontrols 8 (master computer) are connected via data circuits 80 to thedrawing frames 30, 36 via data circuits 81 to the spinning or twistingmachines 11, 110, 111 and 112 and via data circuit 82 to the caninspection station 6.

The controls 8 are thus connected to all the machines belonging to theinstallation. In the embodiment shown, they service, for instance, todetermine which drawing frame 30 or 36 is to be approached in theexecution of a travel command emitted by the spinning or twistingmachine 11, 110, 111 and 112 for the can conveying device 2, whereby thecontrols 8 must take into account the operating conditions of thedrawing frames 30, 36 (or their can storage facilities). The next travelcommand must be transmitted to the can conveying device 2 before itstarts its journey to a drawing frame 30 or 36, e.g. when leaving thecan inspection station 6. It is also possible to effect such acommunications connection between the controls 8 and the can conveyingdevice 2 so that the controls 8 are able to intervene at any time in the"travel plan" of the can conveying device 2.

FIG. 15 shows, at its left side, controls in a machine installation asshown in FIG. 14 and on its right side a similar installation whoseindividual elements bear the same reference numbers as the correspondingelements on the left in FIG. 15, but are modified by the letter "a". Thecan inspection station 6 (and also the can inspection station 6a whichis not shown in as much detail as the can inspection station 6)comprises, in addition to the can inspection station 61, three canstorage facilities (can magazines 600, 601 and 602), of which the canmagazine 600 serves for the storage of full cans 43 or 44, the canmagazine 601 for the storage of empty cans 43 or 44 and the can magazine602 for the storage of unusable, defective cans 43 or 44. The canmagazine 601 contains a can emptying device 62 which shall be describedin greater detail further below.

The can magazine 600 and 601, which are installed independently ofmachines or devices treating or processing fiber slivers, and in whichthe cans may be moved by shifting them or in some other manner so thatthey may be taken up from the can conveying device 2, when required,need not be connected to the controls 8 since loading or unloading ofcans is controlled on the can conveying device 2, which is connected forcontrol to the controls 8, in an appropriate manner. The can emptyingdevice 62, on the other hand, is connected to the controls 8 so thatincompletely emptied cans 43 or 55 may be emptied. The can emptyingdevice 62 is assigned a conveying device 620 which is shown onlyschematically, by means of which the residual material emptied from cans43 or 44 can be conveying to an additional material-collection station621.

If desired, and in case the can magazines 600 and 601 are at a furtherdistance from the can inspection station 6, the can emptying device 62,instead of being part of the can magazine 601 as described, may be partof the can inspection station 6. It is also possible to present one canemptying device 62 at a time to the can inspection station 6 and to thecan storage facility (can magazine 601).

The can magazine 602 can also be provided with a can emptying device 62in order to remove possible sliver remnants from rejected cans. The canswhich cannot be put in order are excluded from further transportation toa machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers. An inspectionby the operator is now required to decide whether it is possible to puta can in order again or whether it should be excluded from furtherutilization.

An example of a can emptying device 62 shall be described in greaterdetail further below.

If the inspection is carried out on the can conveying device 2 or 26,the can 43 or 44 always remains on the predetermined route of the canconveying device 2 or 26. This is also the case if the can inspectionstation 6 is along one of the routes 91 or 910 to 919 and the canremains on the can conveying device 2 or 26 during the inspection.

An embodiment has been described in which the can inspection station 6is located either on the can conveying device 2 or 26 or, independentlythereof, along the route 91 of the can conveying device 2 or 26, but inwhich the can may be removed from the can conveying device 2 or 26 forinspection. The can 43 or 44 is taken out of the predetermined route ofthe can conveying device 2 or 26 for inspection and is returned afterinspection to the can conveying device 2 or 26, possibly when this canconveying device 2 or 26 goes by again. As a rule, however, the canconveying device 2 or 26 must be filled with an already inspected canafter the surrender of a can, so that the can conveying device 2 or 26may be fully occupied, and so that the optimal number of cans may be incirculation.

As shown in FIG. 15, the route 91, together with routes 92 and 93,constitute a transportation system for the can conveying device 2. Atthe same time, the routes 91 and 910 to 919 constitute a (possibly open)circuit I (see FIG. 16) between two machines or devices treating orprocessing fiber slivers, i.e. between the drawing frames 30 and 36, onthe one hand, and the spinning or twisting machines 1, 110, 111 and 112,on the other hand. The routes 92, 920, 910 to 917 and part of the route91 constitute an open circuit II which comprises one of these machinesor devices treating or processing fiber slivers, i.e. a spinning ortwisting machine 11, 110, 111 and 112 and the can storage facility, i.e.the can magazine 600. A third can circuit III consists of the routes 93,930 as well as of part of the routes 91 and 918 or 919, and alsoconnects a machine or device treating or processing fiber slivers, i.e.a drawing frame 30 or 31 to a can storage facility, i.e. the canmagazine 601.

As stated, the can inspection station 6a with its can magazines isidentical in construction with the can inspection station 6. Thereby,the installation shown on the right side on FIG. 15 with drawing frames30a and 36a and with the spinning or twisting machines 11a, 110a, 111aand 112a also consist of a transportation system consisting of three cancircuits Ia, IIa, IIIa. FIG. 15 shows, furthermore, that the controls 8aare also connected to the can inspection station via two data circuits82a and 83a, of which data circuit 82 connects the controls 8a to theinspection unit (corresponding to inspection unit 61) and emptyingdevice (in accordance with data circuit 83 between the controls 8 andthe can emptying device 62).

Both installations (the one shown on the left in FIG. 15 as well as theone shown on the right in FIG. 15) normally operate completelyindependently from each other. If required, however, the twoinstallations may be connected with each other. As shown in FIG. 15, theroutes 91 and 91a are connected to each other via routes 94 and 940.Through manual intervention in one or both controls 8 and 8a or througha data exchange over the data circuit 84, the connection can be put intoeffect and an exchange of cans 43 or 44 may be carried out between theleft and the right installation as shown in FIG. 15. This may be anadvantage in case of malfunctions in one or the other of the twoinstallations. It may also be useful when the can magazines 600 or 601or the corresponding can magazines in the other installation areoverloaded because of some malfunction so that such an exchange of cansmakes it possible to continue smooth operation.

It is, of course, necessary that this malfunction be pointed out by asignal device. Such signal devices are shown schematically in FIG. 15 inconnection with the can inspection station 6. The magazine is forexample monitored by means of a sensor 63 or 630 which is connected to awarning light 64 or 640.

The installation described through FIGS. 14 and 15 can be controlled indifferent manners, as desired, and this is achieved autonomously by thecontrols 8 in that the individual can circuits I, Ia, II, IIa, III, IIIaare laid out individually as needed. If, for example, a full can will beshortly needed at the spinning or twisting machine 110 and enough oreven almost too many full cans stand ready in the can storage facility51 of the drawing frame 36, the circuit I between the drawing frame 36and the spinning or twisting machine 10 is determined with attentionwhile taking into consideration whether the needed can is to bedelivered over route 912 or 913 to the concerned spinning station 10. Ifthe can storage facilities 50, 51 on the drawing frame 30 or 36 arefull, the cans which are not needed at the moment, are taken forintermediate storage into the general can storage facility, e.g. the canmagazine 600 or 601, with the appropriate route at a machine belongingto the installation and the route leading to the appropriate can storagefacility (can magazine) being selected.

If desired, the can may thus be brought directly from a machine ordevice for treating or processing fiber slivers 4 to another machine,where can inspection may possibly be waived in order to avoid delays inthe delivery of the can to the machine which needs the can. On the otherhand, when a can storage facility (can magazine) is approached, the factthat a can exchange takes place there, i.e. that the can is notimmediately needed is taken into consideration. For this reason the caninspection station 69 is not located within the can circuit I or Iaaccording to FIGS. 14 and 15, but in the can circuits II, IIa, III orIIIa, i.e. in the can circuits in which can storage facilities arepresent.

FIG. 16 shows the two installations of FIG. 15 schematically andindicates the first can circuit I or Ia through arrows P₁ and P₂, thesecond can circuit II or IIa by means of arrows P₃ and P₃ and the thirdcan circuit III or IIIa by means of the arrows P₅ and P₆.

The installation can be operated in such manner that the can conveyingdevice 2 travels to the can inspection station 6 when it is along route91 and there delivers the can 43 or 44 to the can inspection station 6for inspection. A can 43 or 44 which has been passed by the caninspection station 6 is then returned immediately to the can conveyingdevice 2.

The can inspection station 6 is, preferably, provided with a canmagazine 60 so that when a can 43 or 44, to be inspected, has beendelivered to the can inspection station 6, the can conveying device 2 isloaded, out of can magazine 60, with a can 43 or 44 which has previouslypassed inspection. The can conveying device 2 is then able to returnimmediately with this can 43 or 44 to a drawing frame 30 or 36 withouthaving to wait at the can inspection station 6.

After inspection the cans 43 or 44 are put into the can magazine 60 tobe placed later on a can conveying device 2 or to remain in the caninspection station 6 if they were found to be defective.

Embodiments of can inspection stations 6 shall be described below.

As shown in FIG. 18, the can inspection station 6 is a can weighingdevice or is equipped with one that is provided with a plate 65 which issupported on the floor via a spring 650. Depending on the extent offullness of the can (e.g. flat can 44) the plate 65 is depressed andthis is indicated in a display device 651. The needle 652 of the displaydevice 651 sweeps over a scale 653, divided into two scale divisions653a and 653b as a function of the weight of the can (e.g. flat can 44).While the scale division is swept by the needle 652 for as long as theindicated weight is that of an empty can, the scale division 653b isswept when this weight is exceeded because of the presence of sliverremnants in the can (e.g. flat can 44). The arrow 652 and the scaledivision 653 constitute part of a power circuit (see circuit 654) in amanner not shown here, to which a signal light 655 is connected.

A rotary plate 66 on which it is possible to deposit the can by means ofschematically indicated grasping device 728 is installed on the plate65. The rotary plate 66 is connected in an appropriate manner to arotating drive 660 which is able to cause the rotary plate 66 to rotate.

A sensor 661 is further provided and is able, in a suitable manner, toscan the upper edge or some other relevant area of the contour of thecans (flat cans 44) and to trigger a signal light 655 via a circuit 662in case of deviation from a desired value. To inspect the can contourthe rotary plate 66 is rotated by means of the rotating drive 660. Ifnecessary, a lifting device can be provided for the rotary plate 66 orthe plate 65, so that every point of the can circumference is able tocome within range of the sensor 661. This sensor 661 may, of course, becapable of moving vertically (and this is as a rule easier toaccomplish) so that the lifting device for the rotary plate 66 or theplate 65 mentioned above may be omitted.

The display device 651 thus serves to indicate a can which is not empty,while the sensor 661 is triggered when the physical condition of thecan, and, in the embodiment shown the edge of the can, which isespecially important here, is faulty or damaged.

A different embodiment in which the can inspection station 6 is alsomade in form of a can weighing device is shown in FIG. 19. In this casethe can 43 or 44 is equipped with a loose bottom 45 capable of beingmoved from the outside, vertically in relation to the lateral walls ofthe can, under the action of a rod system 67, i.e. a lifting bottom. Thecan stands on a pedestal 531 which has an opening 532 through which partof a rod system 67 extends, the other end of said rod system extendinginto a bobbin 670. The rod system 67 is part of a lifting device and issubjected to the force of a spring 671 in such manner that the rodsystem 67 is pressed against the underside of the bottom 45 of the can44 and tends to lift it up. Depending on the weight of a fiber sliver 4which may have remained in the can 43 or 44, this succeeds more or less,so that the depth of penetration is a measure of the weight of suchsliver remnant. Depending upon the penetration depth of the rod system67 into the bobbin 670, a signal is produced which may for instancecause a signal light (similar to 655, FIG. 18) to light up.

Such a bottom 45, capable of being lifted through outside action, isalso an advantage for stretch-free laying of a fiber sliver 4 into thecan 43 or 44 by means of a filling head 31 and during the subsequent,stretch-free withdrawal of the fiber sliver 4.

As FIG. 20 shows, it is however also possible to provide a can tiltingdevice 68 which is able to grasp the can 43 or 44, brings it over a ramp680 by pivoting it and rotates it at the same time by 180° so that itscontents is unloaded on the ramp 680 and from there, on to the conveyingdevice 620 which then coneys the emptied fiber sliver remnants to amaterial collection station 621 (see FIG. 15). The emptied cans may thenbe conveyed to a filling station 31. Emptying the cans ensures that onlyone single coherent fiber sliver 4 is present in the cans once they havebeen filled again.

The can tilting device 68 can be assigned to the can inspection station6 or to one of the can magazines 601, 602.

Although the can inspection station can be designed as shown in FIGS. 18or 19 in this embodiment, FIG. 20 shows a different embodiment in whicha light source 690 as well as a photoelectric cell 691 capturing lightreflected from the bottom of can 44 when the light source 690 isswitched on are placed at the end of a horizontally movable pivoting arm69. The intensity of the reflected light indicates whether the can 44 isempty or not. In addition, if desired, it is also possible to providefor relative movement between the can and the pivot arm 69 with itslight source 690 and the photoelectric cell 691. This relative movementcan, for example, be produced by an appropriate movement of the arm 69.It is, however, also possible to equip the can tilting device with afriction wheel drive 687 which allows the can to rotate in the frictionwheel drive (not shown) so that the scanning device consisting of lightsource 690 and photoelectric cell 691 is able to scan the bottom of thecan over its entire circumference. At the same time this device whichscans the can bottom can also be designed so that it detects not onlyfiber sliver remnants but also damage to the can. If necessary the lightsource 690 and the photoelectric cell 691 can be adjusted or pivoted inrelation to each other and to the pivot arm 69.

As mentioned earlier, it is obvious that the mentioned processes anddevices can not only be used or installed between one or several drawingframes 30, 30a, 36 or 36a and one or several spinning or twistingmachines 11, 11a, 110, 110a, 111, 111a, 112, 112a or an open-endspinning machine 1, but also in combination with other textile machinesputting out fiber slivers (e.g. a card which also has a filling head) orsliver processing machines (e.g. a circular knitting machine, a ringspinning or an air spinning machine).

We claim:
 1. A device for transporting fiber sliver cans, which canshave bottoms which can move vertically between side walls of said cans,between a plurality of textile machines for treating or processing fiberslivers, comprising:(a) a conveying means for conveying a plurality ofsaid cans from one of said machines to another of said machines; (b) acan receiving point disposed on at least one of said textile machines;(c) a can delivery point on said one textile machine in close proximitywith said can receiving point; (d) means for moving said conveying meansto said receiving point and said delivery point on a machine requiring afiber sliver can along a predetermined route; (e) a can inspectionstation disposed on said conveying means having a lifting means forlifting said can bottoms and weighing the sliver in said cans; and (f)means for transferring a sliver can from said conveying means to saidcan receiving point and simultaneously transferring a sliver can fromsaid delivery point to said conveying means.
 2. A device as set forth inclaim 1, further comprising a can shifting device disposed on said canconveying means which is subdivided into a first shifting element forunloading the can and a second shifting element for loading a can ontosaid can conveying means.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 2, whereinsaid first and second shifting elements are disposed in one and the sameplane, which plane is perpendicular to said predetermined route.
 4. Adevice as set forth in claim 2, wherein said conveying means comprisesat least two can holding surfaces which are aligned one behind the otherin the direction of travel to receive one of said fiber sliver cans oneach of said surfaces and said first and second shifting elements aredisposed in two planes, each of which are perpendicular to the route ofsaid can conveying means and which are spaced a distance from each otherequal to the width of one of said can holding surfaces.
 5. A device asset forth in claim 2, wherein said first and second shifting elementsare controlled independently of each other.
 6. A device as set forth inclaim 2, wherein at least one of said first and second can shiftingelements is equipped with a grasping device for grasping a fiber slivercan in proximity to the lower end of said can.
 7. A device as set forthin claim 6, wherein said fiber sliver cans are provided with aprojection at their lower end for interaction with said grasping device.8. A device as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said cans has asubstantially rectangular cross-section with longer and shorter sidesand wherein said projection is at one of the shorter sides of said cans.9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said cans have a projectionat each of said shorter ends.
 10. A device as set forth in claim 8,wherein said projection is constructed in the from of a supporting hoop.11. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said can shifting isequipped with a grasping device which is disposed on a sled capable ofbeing shifted in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal extension ofsaid can conveying means.
 12. A device as set forth in claim 11, whereinsaid sled is disposed on a support sled which is movable in aperpendicular plane to the longitudinal extension of said can conveyingmeans.
 13. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said can shiftingis equipped with a grasping device and a lifting device to lift a cangrasped by said grasping device.
 14. A device as set forth in claim 2,wherein said can shifting device is disposed on said can conveyingmeans.
 15. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein said can conveyingmeans has two can holding surfaces, each of which is assigned to aseparate can shifting device.
 16. A device as set forth in claim 2,wherein said can shifting device is selectively movable in twodirections perpendicular to said can conveying means for transferringsaid sliver cans.
 17. A device for transporting fiber sliver cansbetween a plurality of textile machines for treating or processing fiberslivers, comprising:(a) a can storage facility remote from said textilemachines disposed between said textile machines; (b) a conveying meansfor conveying a plurality of said cans from one of said machines toanother of said machines, said conveying means further comprising aconveying system having three interconnected can circuits whereby afirst can circuit connects at least two of said textile machines and theother two can circuits each connect at least of one said textilemachines and said remote can storage facility; (c) a can receiving pointdisposed on at least one of said textile machines; (d) a can deliverypoint on said one textile machine in close proximity with said canreceiving point; (e) means for moving said conveying means to saidreceiving point and said delivery point of said textile machine; and (f)means for transferring a sliver can from said conveying means to saidcan receiving point and simultaneously transferring a sliver can fromsaid delivery point to said conveying means.